KATHMANDU, Feb 23: The government has initiated a vaccination campaign against measles across 75 districts, excluding Jajarkot and West Rukum, from February 25 to March 20, citing the risk of measles-rubella infection.

Dr Bhuwan Paudel, a senior public health administrator, revealed that the campaign aims to vaccinate 597,305 children in Kathmandu district alone. These children will receive vaccinations at 1,670 designated centers.

He said that the vaccination centers will initially be set up at schools, with health institutions in ward offices administering vaccines on the final day of the campaign. Vaccination services will be available from 10 AM to 4 PM. Additionally, children aged nine months to five years in 51 districts will participate in the campaign.

Within Kathmandu Metropolitan City, there are 250,000 children slated for vaccination. The campaign will extend to 10 local units within Kathmandu district, including Shankharapur, Kageshwari Manohara, Gokarneshwar, Dakshinkali, Nagarjun, Tokha, Tarkeshwar, Budhanilkantha, Chandragiri, and Kirtipur, starting from February 25. In Kathmandu Metropolitan City, vaccination will take place from February 28 to March 12. A workforce comprising 332 health workers and 3,000 volunteers will be mobilized for this campaign.

Children between nine months to 15 years of age and 9 months to five years of age will be vaccinated in 24 districts including Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur and 21 other districts with high infection rates along the border with India and in 51 other districts.

Vaccines will be administered to all children aged nine months to 15 years in Kathmandu. Last year, an outbreak of measles-rubella led to 225 infections and one fatality in Kathmandu district. The epidemic affected 19 districts nationwide.

 
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